


Halcyon Kiss

by darkladywolf12



Category: Hakuouki, Naruto
Genre: Crossover, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27576065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkladywolf12/pseuds/darkladywolf12
Summary: Toshizo smirked. "Up but still cranky, I see. I guess some things never change, eh shrimp?" "I second that. You're still a major ass, Toshi-chan." *I don't own Naruto and/or Hakuōki*
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hijikata Toshizo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Halcyon Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Other fics in my HakuōkiXSakura one-shot series:
> 
> 1\. “Fire and Silk” – (ChikageXSakura)  
> 2\. “Komorebi” – (SoujiXSakura)   
> 3\. “Jasmine Blooms” – (HajimeXSakura and rated M)

Toshizo grunted painfully, clutching his bleeding side as he blocked a ronin’s blade with his own.

Pushing the man back, he dared glance to his right where Okita and Todou were dealing with at least half a dozen more rebels. They seemed to be holding their own, but he wasn’t quite sure how much longer they could keep that up. It was a good thirty minutes since the first sword was drawn, and it looked like they had barely even made a dent in the ronin numbers.

_Damn it…Where the hell are all these bastards coming from?_

Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, he barely dodged the swing of a ronin, gritting his teeth when a stab of pain shot up his wounded side and through his arm.

To his left, Harada and Nagakura appeared to be doing better than himself, but that would mean absolutely nothing if they didn’t manage to either win the battle or find a way to escape. As the minutes ticked by, both scenarios seemed equally as unlikely.

“Is there no end to these guys?!”

“Keep your head in the fight, Nagakura! Let’s get our asses out of here alive, and we can think on this later!”

Toshizo didn’t say a word, keeping his focus on deflecting the swords of the three men attacking him, but he couldn’t help but agree with Harada. The odds were definitely not on their side.

“Damn it, wasn’t Saito supposed to be coming with backup?!”

“Forget about them, Okita! They were most likely intercepted before they even made it halfway to us. We’re on our own!”

Cursing under his breath, Toshizo eyed their surroundings fleetingly, hoping to notice anything that would provide some kind of escape route. If push came to shove, he needed a way for the others to reach safety while he held off the ronin for as long as he could. He could only hope that’d be enough.

“Shit! We’re gonna get our asses whooped!”

“Shut up, Todou! Be a bit positive, will you?”

Ducking to avoid a sword, Toshizo angled his body and his leg shot out, catching a rebel in the chest, and sending him stumbling back. “Focus on the fight, you morons! Once we’re back at headquarters, I’m putting all of you on cleaning duty for three bloody months!”

He gritted his teeth as a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, pressing his hand to his side. Looking down, he stared expressionlessly at the streams of blood slipping through his fingers. He didn’t need to be a medicine man to know that he was operating on borrowed time. While his slash wound wasn’t life-threatening on its own, the amount of blood he was losing was.

_Damn it, at this rate I will faint before we manage to-_

“Hijikata, watch out!”

Okita’s yell was all the warning he got, and Toshizo jumped away more out of practiced reflex than actual awareness of what it was he was trying to avoid.

Before their astonished stares, a deep, terrifying rumble rose from the earth as the ground split beneath their feet.

“What in the world?!”

Toshizo’s eyes shifted between his men and the rebels, noticing their enemies’ disheveled state. Whatever this was, it wasn’t their doing, though he couldn’t quite see how it could have been in the first place. Still, he didn’t have a lot of time to think on the unusual occurrence for within a few seconds, the rebels had regained their composure and were charging at them once more.

Steeling himself for what was to come, Toshizo brandished his sword, and for the first time in years, he prayed for a miracle.

The Gods had never seemed particularly willing to offer their aid, so he had little hope that his prayers would be answered. He had long since stopped believing in divine intervention.

Which is why, Toshizo could hardly believe his eyes when a column of fire appeared seemingly out of nowhere, forcing both Shinsengumi and rebels alike to jump back. The flames rose tall, creating a scorching wall between the two groups of warriors.

Toshizo grunted, the pain in his side making it hard to focus, but he passed his gaze over his fellow captains to make sure they were still in one piece. His eyes shifted to the fire again, and they swept their surrounding area, though he didn’t know what it was he expected to see. Someone had started the fire for reasons he couldn’t know, and though the timing was fortunate, Toshizo had seen enough in his young life to know not to let his guard down.

“Mou, why must these guys always be so stubborn? They just had to force me to waste more chakra on their asses. Hmph!”

The sound of a foreign voice had them all twirling around in a heartbeat, and Toshizo’s muscles tensed at the sight of a hooded figure standing opposite them. The person’s features were hidden underneath a cloak that seemed to swallow them whole, the only visible part being the soles of their open-toed shoes.

“Who the hell are you?” Okita demanded, pointing his sword at the stranger.

A loud sigh reached their ears, and the figure raised their gloved hands in a pacifying motion. “I mean you no harm. Duh. Obviously. I just saved your lives. Won’t you put that away?”

Their voice was muffled by the hood of their cloak and Toshizo cursed under his breath. He had no inkling as to who this person could be and if there was one thing he hated, that was not being in control of a situation that put his comrades’ lives in jeopardy.

“You bet your ass I won’t.” Okita snorted. “Now, don’t make me ask again. Who the hell are you?”

“Tsk, tsk. So ungrateful! I expected more from the Shinsengumi. I hear your higher-ups run a tight ship. Isn’t that right, Hijikata-san?”

His violet eyes narrowed dangerously, and despite the stinging pain in his side, Toshizo raised his sword. “How do you know my name? Who sent you?”

The figure’s shoulders shook with what Toshizo was certain was laughter, and he found himself scowling. The situation was a lot of things, but amusing was not one of them. “Oi, I’m talking to you!”

With a chuckle, the stranger shook their head, one of their gloved hands reaching up for the hood of their cloak. “My, my…Always so serious, you haven’t changed one bit.”

They pulled the worn fabric off their head, and Toshizo sucked in a breath at the sight of the woman before him. A woman who had been a teenager the last time he had seen her.

She stood taller than he remembered, though he was certain she’d just barely come up to his shoulder if they were to stand side by side. The roundness of childhood had disappeared from her face to be replaced by the sharper angles of a more mature femininity. The forehead that had once been a source of shame for her was now visible to all, a strange purple diamond resting in the middle of it. Her hair was longer too; much longer than he recalled. It fell well past the middle of her back, woven into a tight braid that swayed in the breeze. She seemed calm, relaxed, and exuding the confidence of a person certain in her abilities and the power hiding just beneath her skin.

_That pink hair…And those green eyes. It can’t be-_

She smiled, pearly teeth showing behind plum lips, and her eyes crinkled kindly. “Don’t tell me you forgot about me, Toshi-chan.”

Eyes wide in disbelief, Toshizo stared at her incredulously. “No way…Shrimp?!”

XxxOxOxOxxX

Sakura wanted to smack him.

“Shrimp?! It’s been six years since we last saw each other and that’s how you greet me?!” she scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest indignantly. “My, Toshi-chan. You’ve turned into a grumpy old man.”

“As saddened as I am to break up this happy reunion,” one of the other men said, “who the hell are you?”

The young medic turned to look at him, taking note of the sword pointed at her. Recognizing him as the same one who had demanded her name a little earlier, she flashed him a cheeky smile.

“Put that toy away, lest I break it in half and watch you cry over the pieces, darling.”

The man snorted, as if ready to retort, but then turned to Hijikata with a smirk. “She’s amusing. Let’s keep her.”

Not paying him any mind, Toshizo kept his eyes on her, and Sakura fought the sudden urge to shift uncomfortably on her feet. If she were to be completely honest, she was a lot more nervous than she let on. Six years was a hell lot of time between conversations and while she could still see the resemblance, the man standing before her was vastly different from the gruff teenager who had walked through the gates of Konoha all those years ago. 

He was taller – so much taller – than he used to be, and his long black ponytail was likely longer than her own. He looked stronger, his chest broader than she remembered, and the lingering image of teenage Toshizo started to dissipate, only to be replaced by the impressive man a few feet away from her. Still, there was something that struck a chord in her, and she latched onto that spark of familiarity as she gazed at him contemplatively. His eyes, though harder and shadowed by his experiences in life, were still the same otherworldly violet that had taken her breath away the first time she had looked into them.

“Is that you…Sakura?”

His voice, deep and strong, broke her out of her thoughts and she beamed at him. “In the flesh! Now, as lovely as it is to see you again, Toshi-chan, I think it’d be better if we all got out of here. Those flames won’t burn forever, and as much as I want to turn those blasted ronin into my personal punching bags, my orders are to get all of you out of here alive and in one piece.”

“Orders? Whose orders?”

“Why, Kondou-san’s, of course.”

Toshizo frowned in thought. “He never mentioned anything about you coming here. When did you speak to him?”

She shrugged, placing a hand on the curve of her waist. “The letter he sent to my Hokage a couple of weeks ago was rather urgent, so preparations were made, and I was dispatched immediately. I did some reconnaissance on my way here, so it wasn’t hard to track those troublesome ronin down. I’ve been following them for a few days now and what do you know, they led me straight to you. Saving your lives is a bit more important than reporting to Kondou-san, don’t you think?”

“They sent a little china doll to help us?”

Rolling her eyes at the man – Okita, if she was not mistaken – she grinned cheekily. “This china doll can break your neck in a second. I don’t know about you, pal, but I like my head on my shoulders.”

“A head like yours, I’d want it on my shoulder too.”

Sakura giggled in her hand, flattered by the tall redhead’s comment, and she found herself returning his playful smirk. “What a pleasant surprise. At least one of you knows how to be charming.” She winked at him, and his flirtatious smirk widened. Walking over to Toshizo, she placed his arm around her shoulders and then slipped her own around his waist, mindful of his injury.

“Sakura, I’m fine-”

“Oh, shush, you stubborn mule of a man. You haven’t changed one bit,” she replied, supporting his weight easily despite the height difference. “Now, if you would follow me, I’ll lead you to the horses. We can catch up once we’re all back at headquarters.”

“We don’t have horses, china doll.”

“Yes, we do. I stole them from the ronin. Really, those guys’ stupidity is embarrassing.” She shifted her shoulder when she heard Toshizo grunt, glancing at him worriedly in the corner of her eye. “You’re hanging in there, aren’t you, Toshi-chan? I’ll see to your injury the moment we reunite with the others, so please bear the pain for a little while longer.”

“The others?”

She nodded. “I took a detour while coming here. One of your other teammates -Saito, was it? - was in a pinch so I helped him and his men out a bit before reaching you.”

“Saito? Saito and the others are alright?”

The young medic flashed the tall redhead a smile. “They are just fine. They are expecting us not far from here. They were exhausted when I found them, so I asked them to stay put while I came to fetch you.”

“Fetch us is a nice way of putting it.”

Sakura snorted at Okita. “Don’t feel too bad about it. Saving a bunch of men’s reckless asses is kind of my specialty.”

The rounded a corner, following the woman as she led them down a side path. Tied to sturdy branches, three horses stared back at them, clearly agitated by the sounds of battle and the smell of smoke.

Heading straight to the horse closest to her, Sakura helped Toshizo get on the black beast before hoisting herself in the saddle in front of him. Taking hold of the reins, she grinned at the other men.

“Be nice and share, boys. Chop chop, we don’t have all day.”

By the time they had mounted the two chestnut geldings, Sakura was already leading her horse in the opposite direction. The path didn’t seem well-walked and judging by the overgrown flora, it was probably a side road that people rarely used, but their horses were sure-footed as they trotted away.

Feeling Toshizo’s grip on her waist loosen, Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder and furrowed her brow. “Are you alright, Toshi-chan? I can stop and heal you. We can-”

“Don’t,” he breathed out, one arm slack around her middle. “We can’t stay here a moment longer. I’ll be fine until we reach safety. And once we’re back at headquarters, you have a lot of explaining to do.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, nudging her horse into a canter. “Oh, really now?”

“What did you expect? You show up after six years of no contact, apparently with orders to save our lives, and you think I’m going to simply accept that? That Kondou didn’t bother to say a word to me? I’m the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, shrimp. What I don’t know can kill me, and it can kill other people too.”

Sakura remained silent for a minute, mulling over his words, and then she sighed. “It wasn’t six years of no contact, you know.”

“What? What is that supposed to mean?”

The woman smiled ruefully, something strained in her expression. “I sent you letters. About thirty of them. I kinda got the message when I received no answer to any of them. So, I stopped.”

“Sakura, I-”

“Let’s not dwell on the past, Toshi-chan. I was fifteen when you came to Konoha and nearly seventeen when you left. At that age, we consider everyone we hang out with a close friend, right?” she cut him off quickly, sending him a forced smile that she knew he saw through. “It really isn’t a big deal. Let’s hurry up now. I want to take a look at that wound as soon as possible.”

Digging her heels in their mount’s sides, the sound of the horses’ hooves drowned out anything Toshizo might have said, and for that she was thankful.

_Deep breaths, Sakura. Deep breaths. Everything will be alright._

XxxOxOxOxxX

“Sakura? Haruno Sakura? By the Gods! Look at you!”

The young woman beamed happily at the man, not nearly as annoyed as she should have been when he reached out to ruffle her hair. “Kondou-san. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I’ll say! Six years, correct? I still remember you as a chirpy teenage girl, but you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.”

She flushed at the praise, cocking her head to the side awkwardly. “It’s good to see you again and doing well, Kondou-san.”

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in that familiar way she remembered from six years ago. “I hear that you’ve made quite a name for yourself. Studying under the Fifth Hokage herself and mastering medical ninjutsu at such a young age is no small feat. Hatake must be really proud of you. How is that old wolf? Settling into his role as councilman?”

Sakura chuckled, cheeks still tinted pink. “He’s doing great, Kondou-san, though I can’t say the same about his advisors. The man avoids his paperwork like the plague and that usually means one of us has to do it in his stead.”

“Heh, typical Kakashi. I trust he made your mission clear to you?”

The medic nodded resolutely. “Crystal. While I have never encountered a formula the likes of which you described in your letter, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to develop a cure. It will be done, even if it’s the last thing that I do.”

Profound relief overtook Kondou’s features. “Even when you were but a young teenage girl, I could tell you’d grow up to become a brilliant woman, Sakura.” His smile widened, and he winked at her. “Well, that and that you’d become a stunner. Toshi and I both.”

She tensed at the mention of the man’s name, but fortunately, Kondou didn’t seem to notice. Schooling her face into a pleasant expression, Sakura smiled. “You’re too kind, Kondou-san. Now that you do mention him however, I really need to check on Toshizo. I did heal his wound, but I’d like to make sure that there are no lingering effects.”

_You liar. You just want to go hide in your room._

Kondou’s eyes lit up and he patted her arm fondly. “Don’t let me keep you then. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss your mission in the months to come. Welcome to the Shinsengumi, Sakura.”

The woman smiled tightly. “Trust me, Kondou-san. You have no idea how happy I am to be here.”

XxxxX

“So, let me get this straight. Hijikata spent nearly two years in your village with Kondou, you haven’t seen each other in six years, and now you are the Shinsengumi’s temporary medic?”

Sakura giggled into her teacup. “You have the gist of it, Okita, well done.”

“What were Hijikata and Kondou even doing in your village?”

“Well, from what I know, Kondou-san and my teacher, Kakashi-sensei, have known each other for a long time. Toshizo was in training back then so Kondou thought it a good idea to travel to Konoha for extra tutoring. Us shinobi are really good at what we do, you know. So, he contacted Kakashi-sensei and they were allowed entry into my village.”

“Seems a bit strange that Kondou would willingly spend so much time away from Kyoto and the Shinsengumi.”

The pink-haired woman shook her head. “Oh no, Kondou-san did not spend the entirety of those two years in Konoha. He’d visit occasionally, but never for more than a few weeks. Toshi-chan was the one who stayed.”

Sitting down beside her, the youngest among them, Heisuke, glanced at her curiously. “So, that means you and Hijikata know each other well? You’ve been friends for what, eight years?”

Brushing the sudden twist in her chest aside, Sakura shrugged. “I wouldn’t go that far. I mean, we didn’t really stay in contact after they left.”

Propping his chin on his palm, Souji’s piercing green eyes regarded her calculatingly. “And yet you have these cute nicknames for each other. What was it? Toshi-chan? And shrimp-”

“I also know what her favorite food is and how she takes her tea. Got a problem with that, Okita?”

The hairs at the back of Sakura’s neck stood on edge at the sound of Toshizo’s voice. She turned, finding him leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. His face was set in the same hard expression she remembered from their days together, but she still felt her heartbeat accelerate in her chest.

_Stop this foolery right this instant you useless, useless organ!_

As if to provoke him, Okita smirked. “My, had you told us about your cute little friend, I would have asked Kondou to invite her here a lot earlier, Hijikata.”

Scowling at the captain, Toshizo shifted his penetrating gaze to her. “Follow me. We need to talk.”

Knowing that delaying the inevitable could only take her so far, Sakura sighed and stood, patting nonexistent dust from her black shorts. “Alright, lead the way, Toshi-chan.”

XxxxX

Toshizo did not spare the woman beside him a glance as he led her to one of the old training grounds, and yet he was acutely aware of her presence. She did not open her mouth to say a single word, and she appeared a lot more interested in her surroundings than him.

It was unsettling.

He was used to her chattering and to her prattling on about her day. He was used to listening to her complain about her idiotic teammates and to offering his little snide comments here and there.

Silent Sakura was not a person he was used to. It was naïve, he knew, to think that she’d be the same person he left all those years ago. After all, she’d been a teenager back then, just barely on the cusp of adulthood. Looking at her now only reminded him of the years that had passed. She was a woman, the last remnants of adolescence gone from her features.

A woman he no longer knew.

When he was certain that they were at a distance that guaranteed that they wouldn’t be overheard, he turned to face her. She was staring at him curiously, albeit a bit tensely, with her hands clasped behind her back.

“Sakura-”

“Toshizo-”

They both fell silent again, and she glanced at him timidly from under her lashes. “Umm… How are you feeling? No pain in your side, right? Sometimes, discomfort lingers even after the wound has been healed-”

“Sakura.”

She sighed deeply. “I’m positive you did not drag me all the way out here to talk about the weather. Did you, Toshi-chan?”

He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. Why are you really here, Sakura? Why did Kondou keep your arrival from me?”

“I never lied to you, Toshizo. I’m here on official orders. I’m on a mission. You know how those are. Kondou, he…He described your situation with…that formula in great detail, and he asked for help. And Konoha provided it.” Her lips lifted in a small, awkward smile. “Hi, I’m the help.”

_Kondou knew…He always knew. Is that why he didn’t tell me? Because he was sure I’d do everything to keep her away from this hell?_

Toshizo stared at her for a little while, taking in her tinted cheeks and the curve of her plum lips that were equal parts familiar and strangely new. “I never got your letters. Not even one.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked up at him in surprise. “You didn’t?”

He shook his head. “You know communications between Edo and the Shinobi Nations have been a mess since the rebellion started. The Shogun is suspicious of nearly everyone. Kondou and I spent a good deal of our time on the road after we left Konoha. There was no address for your letters to be delivered to. Had I known…” he trailed off, though he didn’t really need to explain himself. She knew. She always knew what he meant to say, even when he himself didn’t know how to put his thoughts into words.

“I…I see,” she murmured, looking down at her feet, and he could tell from the crease between her eyebrows that she was in deep thought.

_Say something…Please._

After a few moments, she looked up at him and offered him a small but genuine smile. “I missed you, Toshi-chan. You know that, right?”

He blinked, startled by the heartfelt admission, but a wave of warmth spread through his chest. It’d been a while since the last time he’d felt this way. He briefly recalled standing on top of the Hokage mountain that final night, staring at a starlit sky and a pair of bright emerald eyes.

His lips curled up in a teasing smirk, and he ruffled her hair, relishing the way her cheeks reddened. It was so reminiscent of their younger days together, he could almost feel Konoha’s breeze on his skin again. “Still as sentimental as ever, shrimp.”

She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms across her chest, and Toshizo found his gaze drawn to the womanly curves clearly outlined under her red dress and the black obi.

“You’re deflecting. Too scared to admit that you missed me too, Toshi-chan?”

Toshizo snorted, hoping she hadn’t noticed his wandering eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, shrimp.”

“It’s Sakura. I know your memory fails you, old man, but repeat after me. Sa-ku-ra.”

“Not a chance. Shrimp.”

“Oh, come on!”

XxxOxOxOxxX

_ Hokage Mountain, Konoha – Six years ago _

Toshizo stared at the rooftops of the sleeping village he was probably never going to see again. It felt like yesterday that he and Kondou had walked through the gates, carrying their swords, the clothes on their backs and just a bundle of supplies.

It was hard to believe that almost two years had gone by since that fateful day.

He had never been one to believe in fate, but it was hard not to consider the possibility that someone out there had somehow led him to Konoha. Not with everything that had happened. Not with all the people he had met and the things he had seen. Not with-

“Toshi-chan!”

He turned around immediately, his eyes following her figure and she jogged to his side.

“I did not keep you waiting, did I?”

She was still dressed in her white medical coat, so she had probably just finished her training with the Hokage. Toshizo wanted to feel guilty for dragging her all the way out here when she could be resting, but the need to see her alone one last time was too overwhelming to simply ignore. For the first time in his life, he felt no sliver of guilt for acting so selfishly.

She came to stand beside him, their arms brushing lightly, and looked up at the sky. “This is it, then. Your last night in Konoha,” she said, the sadness in her voice making something twist in his chest.

“Aa.”

She looked at her feet. “I knew this day would come. Yet, I find it hard to believe that it finally has.”

She raised her head, and Toshizo sucked in a breath at the sight of her eyes, glistering with unshed tears. Her lips quivered slightly as she spoke.

“We lived one hell of an adventure together, didn’t we, Toshi-chan?”

He stared at her, committing her features to memory, hoping to keep the sight of her starlit eyes and disheveled hair engraved in his mind. Unable to resist the urge, he reached out and took her hand in his, slipping his fingers between hers.

She gasped, her gaze falling to their intertwined hands in disbelief, and he couldn’t quite hold it against her. They’d been dancing around each other for the better part of the past six months, never going beyond lingering stares and fleeting touches. They both knew nothing could ever come of it. She was a kunoichi of Konoha, only a month from completing her seventeenth year, and he was a twenty-one-year-old samurai with a duty to protect the people of Kyoto and serve the Shinsengumi to his dying breath.

They’d been on borrowed time, and the clock was now a minute away from striking midnight.

He felt her squeeze his hand, and he tried to find the words to convey everything he had in his thoughts. Thank her for every little moment of solace she had offered him, promise her that he would never forget her. That he’d always keep her smile and the sweetness of her presence in his heart, locked away like a priceless treasure.

“Sakura, I-”

She cut him off by throwing her arms around his middle and burying her face in his chest. His eyes widened, but he still accepted her warmth and the feeling of her body so close to his.

They had never crossed that line before.

He could feel her shoulders shaking, and it didn’t take long to notice the wetness of her tears on his skin. Without a moment’s hesitation, he brought his arms around her and hugged her tight to his chest, pressing his forehead to the side of her head. He held onto her desperately, hoping that her scent and the outline of her body would be somehow imprinted in his skin.

“I-I’m going to m-miss you, T-Toshi-chan. S-so much…” she sobbed, each tremor that wracked her spine a dagger that lodged itself in his gut.

His fingers found her chin, and he gently coaxed her to look up at him. Her eyes were red, overflowing with tears that left hot trails down her cheeks, and there was something heart-wrenching in her expression that Toshizo knew would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Beyond his control, his head dipped down towards hers before he could stop.

For the first and the last time, he crossed the line.

XxxOxOxOxxX

_ Kyoto, Shinsengumi Headquarters – Present Day _

The first time Toshizo saw Sakura walk out of Souji’s room late one evening, he thought nothing of it. Okita had been looking rather pale lately, so it was only logical that he’d ask Sakura to examine him.

When he saw her do it a second time a couple of days later, he figured she was merely administering treatment for whatever was afflicting Souji.

The third time made him raise an eyebrow, and the fourth got him suspicious.

By the tenth time, he was bloody annoyed.

Sitting across from the pair of them in the meal hall, Toshizo scowled into his sake cup as he watched Sakura laugh heartily at something Souji had said. The two seemed to have grown rather close in the two months since the woman’s arrival, and it’d be a lie to say that he wasn’t a bit _irritated_.

_Heh, and why do you care? It’s not like it’s any of your damn business, Hijikata._

Still, a voice in the back of his head kept whispering that _it was_ his business. Because this was not some random woman. This was Sakura. Sakura, with her fragrant pink hair and doe-like green eyes and her gentle touches. Sakura, who was no longer seventeen years old, but a grown woman whose every move accentuated the curves hiding right beneath the layers of her tight clothing.

Sakura who had cried in his arms that night on top of the Hokage mountain, who had clung to him as if her life had depended on it. Sakura, whose lips he-

“Want a refill, Hijikata? You look like you could use one more drink.”

Glancing at Sanosuke in the corner of his eye, Toshizo shook his head. “Don’t mind me, Harada. I’m just tired.”

“Well, why don’t you ask Haruno for help? I’m sure she can come up with some energy-boosting concoction. Look at how much she’s helped Souji with that nasty cold he’s been fighting. He keeps saying that she has magical fingers.”

Toshizo felt his own fingers tighten around his cup, but he kept his composure, his face a mask of cold indifference. “I don’t believe in magic, Harada.”

Sanosuke chuckled, his lips lifting in a playful smirk. “Well, I believe in whatever it is Haruno does. Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how magical her fingers truly are.”

Toshizo scoffed in annoyance, and for a moment he contemplated telling Harada exactly where he could shove his thoughts, but movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Sakura stood and stretched her arms above her head, giving everyone with _a bloody pair of eyes_ an excellent view of her arching back and the taut muscles of her bare thighs.

Tilting her head to the side, she offered the room a genuine smile. “It has been a tiring day so, gentlemen, I bid you all a good night.”

Despite the others offering their goodnights in return, Toshizo remained silent, choosing to sip from his cup and push the whole night to the back of his mind. He was an honest man, and he was the most honest with himself. The medic’s presence was affecting him as much as it used to back then, and the realization was concerning. They weren’t teenagers anymore, and it had been six whole years. Surely, anything…lingering, should have disappeared a long time ago.

 _Get a grip._ Toshizo scowled to himself. _I don’t have time for this. It shouldn’t matter and it doesn’t. We’re different people now._

“Wait up, Haruno. I’ll walk you to your room.”

Despite his best efforts not to react, Toshizo stilled at Okita’s words, watching with furrowed brows as the woman beamed at him and linked her arm through his. Okita sent her a teasing smirk, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle.

_Oh, hell no…_

XxxxX

Sakura sighed contently as she stared at the sky, humming a merry tune under her breath that she had picked up from a Tea Country merchant’s wife.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, but a pleasant, pinkish hue had started to paint the horizon. While she wasn’t normally a morning person – much less a ‘the-sun-isn’t-even-up-yet’ type of morning person – she had been feeling strangely energetic these past few days. Though she wanted to attribute it to the change of scenery, deep down she was perfectly aware that it had more to do with the company she was in than anything else.

She chuckled to herself, and though the early morning was still chilly, she couldn’t quite feel it on her skin. Not when her insides were enveloped in sweet warmth and comfort.

_Toshi-chan always did know how to make me strive to be better, didn’t he?_

She didn’t know if it was the sun’s first rays that made her cheeks heat up or the thought of the man’s penetrating violet gaze, though she’d probably put her money on the latter.

“What in the world are you doing out here, shrimp?”

Slightly startled by his sudden arrival, so lost in her own little world that she hadn’t noticed him, she glanced at him over her shoulder. She had to wonder if perhaps her thoughts had somehow summoned him to her. “What does it look like, Toshi-chan? I’m watching the sun rise.”

Snorting in amusement, he crossed his arms across his broad chest. “That’s the weird thing. How did you manage to wake up before noon? And no bed hair too? Should I be worried, shrimp?”

“Oh, shut it. Just because you’re a demon, that doesn’t mean I am one too.” She stuck her tongue out at him and had she paid closer attention, perhaps she would have noticed his gaze darken.

“Up but still cranky, I see. I guess some things never change, eh?”

“I second that. You’re still a major ass.”

For a few moments, they just stared at each other before bursting out laughing, though Toshizo’s chuckles were a lot more reserved.

“Wait here, shrimp. I’ll be back shortly.”

He was gone before she could ask him where he was going, so Sakura returned her eyes to the rising sun. It was higher now, though not quite over the horizon yet, haloing the mountains in the distance in hues of pink and orange.

It was a pretty sight, one that she rarely saw back home. Waking up this early in Konoha usually meant some type of hospital emergency or a summons to the Hokage’s office, so it was not often that she got to pause and admire the scenery. Still, as much as she enjoyed watching the blue of the sky turn into brilliant golden, she had a special place in her heart for sunsets.

There was something magical about the dying light and the veil of darkness that replaced the sun’s warmth. More than anything, she enjoyed watching the gold and orange slowly shift to violet in the horizon.

She thought it tragically poetic that the quietest moment of the day was the one that reminded her of Toshizo’s eyes the most. His eyes had never been quiet. They were expressive, and wild and brave, and loud. Almost as loud as her heartbeat whenever he was near.

_Even after all this time…_

The light tap, of feet on wood alerted her to someone’s arrival, though she immediately knew it was Toshizo. She’d recognize his stride anywhere. Before she could say anything, she felt something soft and warm drop on her shoulders.

_A blanket_ _…?_

The material tickled the skin of her neck and arms, but she welcomed its warmth. Turning to face Toshizo, she smiled at him sweetly as he sat down beside her, their arms brushing.

“Thank you, Toshi-chan. I hadn’t realized I was getting chilly.”

He huffed, but the smirk on his lips was good-natured. “Always so careless. How you became a medic eludes me. You are hopeless when it comes to taking care of yourself.”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “Says the guy who wanted to spar with the Copy freaking Ninja using only swords. I’m never letting you live that one down, by the way.”

“You little brat.”

Giggling, Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. “Learn to pick your battles more carefully, Toshi-chan. Now, put this half around you. The blanket is large enough for both of us and we wouldn’t want you to catch a cold, would we?”

She held up the soft material, trying to swing it over his shoulders, however his towering height even though he was seated made it difficult from her position.

Toshizo chuckled and took the other half of the blanket from her, wrapping it around himself.

“Once a shortie, always a shortie, eh?”

Sakura crossed her arms across her chest. “Not my fault you’re freakishly tall, you monster.”

With a smirk she knew all too well gracing his features, Toshizo flicked her forehead. “Heh, pot calling the kettle black, shrimp. Though I still think I could hold you in the palm of my hand if I wanted to.”

Smiling at him cheekily, Sakura tilted her head to the side, biting her lip. “You may want to watch that, Toshi-chan. I bite a lot more than I used to.”

“This is you. I’ll take my chances.”

His voice made her breathing hitch. She had always loved Toshizo’s voice, deep and powerful as it was, but there was something in his words in that moment that made her shiver in anticipation. There was a darkness in them; the kind that beckoned one closer and made them desire to surrender to it completely, wholeheartedly.

“Be careful,” she said, painfully aware of how breathless she sounded. “You’re playing with fire.”

In a move that had her heart racing in her chest, Toshizo grasped her chin gently, his thumb brushing her bottom lip, and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

“Then let me burn.”

XxxOxOxOxxX

“You sure you don’t want to come with us, china doll? Festivals are fun, and we’ll get to drink.”

Laughing lightly, Sakura patted Okita’s cheek. “Thank you for the invitation, Souji-kun, but unless you want to comb through a dozen medical scrolls for me, then I’ll have to politely decline. After all, someone has to prepare a hangover cure for when the lot of you return pissed out of your minds.”

“Ouch, china doll. You hurt our delicate feelings.”

Smiling cheekily, the woman stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m sure you’ll live. Now, off you go and please behave.”

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Souji ruffled her hair. “Yes, mom. You rest a bit though, china doll, you hear me? And convince that spoilsport Hijikata to rest too.”

“What makes you think I can convince Toshi-chan to do anything, Okita?”

He smirked at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Oh, something tells me if there’s one person on this earth able to get that man to do anything, that’s you.” He winked, offering her a two-fingered salute. “See ya later, china doll. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“Oh, for the love of God, just go get drunk Souji!”

XxxxX

Sighing tiredly, Sakura leaned her head back against the trunk of the cherry blossom tree in the compound’s gardens.

The place was quiet, though that was to be expected considering most of the men were either on patrol duty in town or enjoying the festivities. Despite the somewhat late hour, she could hear the hustle and bustle of people chatting animatedly and enjoying themselves. It had been at least three hours since Souji and the others had left, and by the looks of it, it would be at least another three before any of them returned.

Picking up her cup, she brought it to her lips and took a hearty gulp of her green tea. It was lukewarm and a bit bitter, but she still welcomed it. After a few hours of staying cooped up in her room, pouring over medical texts no one had touched in ages, the fresh air of the gardens was a pleasant change.

“I thought you were at the festival.”

Turning her head, Sakura followed Toshizo’s form as he approached her.

_Huh, Toshi-chan always did have a way of finding me, even when I didn’t want to be found…_

He sat down beside her, and slipped his arm around her waist, making her jump slightly at the sudden contact. Ever since that early morning on the porch, things had shifted between them, and they were at that weird stage again, performing that uncertain dance of walking a step forward and then pausing for what seemed like forever. Still, twenty-one-year-old Toshizo wouldn’t have dreamed of embracing her like that, so she counted that as a win.

“Okita invited me, but I couldn’t leave today’s research unfinished. So much to do, not enough time.”

“You overworking yourself again, shrimp? Cause if you are, I swear to Gods old and new, I’m going to have a few words to say to Kondou.”

She giggled, setting her teacup down and pressing herself closer to him. “Give the man a break, Toshi-chan. He means well. After all, he never really gave me a deadline.”

“So what? Are you in a hurry to leave?”

She knew he was only teasing her, but she was suddenly overcome by a need to reassure him. She tugged on the sleeve of his yukata, looking up at him. “You know that’s not it, right? You know…You know I just want to be useful to you, right?”

XxxxX

“You know that’s not it, right? You know…You know I just want to be useful to you, right?”

Toshizo searched her face, her earnest tone making something stir inside him. She had always been bad at masking her emotions, and as much as she hated it, he couldn’t help but love the way her beautiful, _beautiful_ emerald eyes were a gateway to the deepest parts of her soul. And the only thing he could in their depths right then and there was himself.

Their bodies were touching, and she was looking up into his eyes with such… anticipation that he could not restrain the impulse any longer.

In a blur of heady desire, he grabbed her about the waist and pulled her onto his lap, not caring that anyone passing by the gardens would be able to see them.

One of his strong arms curled tightly around her, while his other hand caught her face, cradling her cheek as his lips sought hers with an unbridled hunger and an urgency that spoke of the years and years of unfulfilled desires that they had spent away from each other. At first, she did not respond, too shocked by his boldness.

_Kiss me. Kiss me, Sakura…Please._

He pressed against her, their bodies as flush as his spine to the tree. The tip of his tongue ran along the soft cushion of her lower lip, coaxing her mouth open, bit by bit.

A gasp escaped her throat as her hands suddenly wrapped around him, her fingernails digging into the muscle of his back as though he were driftwood in a turbulent sea, and if she did not grip tight, she might drown.

_Thank the Gods…_

He felt the change in her body as she pulled him so close that he could feel each and every dip and angle of her body against his. Her fingertips slid up his back, getting tangled in the fabric of his yukata, as her lips finally began to move against his, dancing a fiery fling, their breaths hot on each other’s skin where the night was cold.

“Toshizo, I love you” she murmured against his mouth, as her hands found his hair, her fingers running through his dark ponytail and tugging lightly, bringing his head down further so he could plunder her lips with more ferocity.

Ever the dutiful samurai, he kissed her harder, pressing her to him until a blaze ignited in his chest. He knew it would take every ounce of willpower he possessed not to lift her up and have her wrap her legs about his waist, as he carried her to his room.

Instead, he kissed her as though he were making love to her mouth, slowing the pace to a sensual undulation, and moving away ever so slightly, to take a rasping breath of desire, before catching her lips once more, when she least expected it.

“Sakura, I’m not giving you back to Hatake. I…I can’t. Not now, not ever.”

She laughed breathlessly, and he took great pride in the knowledge that he was the one who had stollen her breath away. “Oh, is that so? Will you be the one to tell him that his Head Medic and favorite student is staying permanently in Kyoto? I don’t think he’s going to like that.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, tracing the outline of her face reverently with his finger, committing her the image of her flushed cheeks and swollen mouth to memory. “Then let him come and try to take you away. He will have to go through me first.”

“So ready to throw your life away, aren’t you, Toshi-chan?”

“If a man must live unable to touch the woman he loves, that is not a life worth keeping.”

She seemed almost startled by his heartfelt confession, but a moment later her eyes softened, and a sweet smile graced her face. “Well, then, I guess I better request a job transfer.”

He chuckled, dropping his mouth to the crook of her neck, peppering kisses all over her soft skin. “And tell Hatake that I respect him but he better not pull any of his usual tricks. You and I have six years’ worth of catching up to do.”

“I like the sound of that.” She laughed, a light and happy sound, and tugged at his hair, bringing his mouth down to hers again.

Toshizo smiled, holding her tightly, and snatched another taste of her reddened, kiss-swollen lips. “Then we better get started.”

**The End**


End file.
